Ignition system for combustion engines



Apr. 24, 1923. 4 g 1,452,601

W. C. HEATH IGNITION SYSTEM FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 14 1920 2Sheets-Sheet l Apr. 24, 1923.

W. C. HEATH IGNITION SYSTEM FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented A nea, 1923.

: .-UNITED{STATES WILLIAM HEATILVOF BELOIT, WISCONSIN, ssIeivoR ToFAIRBANKS, ivioRsE &

a 1 or oI-I oAeo, I LINoIs; A CORP RAT ON orILnInoIs I IGNITION SYSTEMlr'on Application fiieaiviay 14,

T all whom it vnayponccrn g Be it knownthatl, WILLIAM C. HEATH, acitizen of the :United States, residing at Beloit, in the county of Rockand State of l/Visconsin, have invented a certain newand usefulImprovement in IgnitionSystems for Combustion Engines, of which thefollow ing is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to a.-firing mechanism for the cylinder of aninternal. com-. bustion engine, particularly one in .which the firing isdone by. a low tension oscillating magneto located at some littledistance therefrom. i

The object of the invention is to under these conditions connect theparts in such a manner that the firing is accurately and positively doneat the proper time so as to obtain best operating results. The inventionconsists in means for carrying out the foregoing objects which can beeasily and cheaply made, which is compact and simple in construction,which works practically perfectly and is not liable to get out of order.More particularly the invention consists in features and details ofconstruction hereafter more fully set forth in the specification andclaim. Referring to the drawings in which similar numerals represent thesame parts thruout the several views, a

Figure 1 is a plan view of mechanism illustrating this invention in itspreferred form.

Figure 2 is a side view of the parts of Figure 1.

I Figure 3 is an end detail view of the firing electrodes and attachedparts removed from the engine cylinder. 1

Figures 1 and 2 show fragmentary portions of the cylinder of acombustion engine perforated to receive a plug or head 12 detachablysecured in place by any suitable means, as for instance a cover 40having arms 15 fastened to the cylinder by screws 14- Extending thruthis cylinder head or block 12 are two electrodes 16 and 18,the formerstationary, and carried in insulated material 20, the latter rotatableand without insulation and therefore grounded. Electrode 16 carries afiring contact 22 detachably engaged byfiring contact 24 on an arm 26rotatable with and by member 18. Electrode 18 also carries a leverarm28'pushed in one l 55 direction by a compression spring sock'et- C IBUs rIou ENGINEs. I

1920. s aiivo. 381,505.

riszse T NTerrata;

ed at'32 a suitable projection on the plug 7 12 outs de the cylinder.The end "of stationary electrode 16 whichis outside the cylinder isscrew threaded and provided with suitable nuts 34 and 36 to receive theend of the w1re38 leading tothe ma-gneto- The parts of the electrodeswhich are outside of the plug 12 and their attached parts areenvclose'dwithin a suitable case 40 detachably secured to the face. ofv theplugr12 byscrews l4, heretoforelreferred to. .:Case 4051s perforated at4 2 to let the wire-3 8 go thru it and is also perforated at..44 toprovide a slidingsupport for a reciprocatable push rod 46 leading tothemagneto. Theend 48 of this rod 46 which enters the casel40: engagesthe arm 28 and rocks it in a clockwise direetionagainst'the actionof-spring30. l

Rod 46 maybe of any'suitable length required to '-reach the magnetomechanism in itsselected positionadjacentto the engine cylinder. The end50 of the rod 46 which is opposite to end 48is reciprocatably mounted ona suitable portion,'as for instance, a pro ectlng lug 52 on the frontframe plate 54 of the low tension magneto. This magneto is electricallyof ordinary construction, comprising the magnets 56 and the rotatablearmature 58, carried on shaft 60 whose front end is journaled in plate54.

Front plate 54 is provided with forwardly projecting arms 62 and 64located in the same horizontal plane on opposite sides of the center ofshaft 60, said arms carrying projecting bolts or pins 66 toeach of whichis attached a retractile spring 68 in turn loosely connected in theusualmanner to-the adjacent one of 'a pair of integrally connected,oppositely disposed oscillating arms 70 detachably secured to the shaft60 means of a nut 72.

' Depending from this member 70 is the usual operating arm 74 driven inthe usual manner by the pin 76 carried on arotating arm 7 8 propelled bythe engine mechanism in the direction of the arrow 80.

Inside of arms62 and 64 and behind the member'70, is a cam 82 detachablysecured.

lit

ranged and shaped that the rocking of arm the armfl'l' l in its dottedline position and oscillates it'to the left as viewed vin"I i, ;*111'e 2untilthe pin 76 passes off from the end of the arm whereupon the springs[68 return the armatu're'to original position. This oscillation of thearmature generates the usual current which passes :ifrom'the armature tothe'ivire 38, to'electrode l6, thenceacross the contacts 22 and'Qt toelectrode 18, and thence backthru the. grounded fparts o'f'the device,iZQthe'm'etal of the deviceto'the armature" This movement of thearmature obviously oscillates cam 82, which inturn rocks arm 86 to moverod 46' to separate the contacts 22-and' 24 at the propertime to causethe expected electric spark within theengine. By loosening the nuti72the cam 82, and the arm? may-be adjusted angularly with reference, toeach other to insure absolutely proper timing'or" the firing of themixture in the engine cylinder.

By enclosingsthe electrode parts Within the case 40 theparts areprotected from accidental injury and displacement in operation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is p In mechanism of the class described afront frame of an oscillating magneto mech anism, arms extendingforwardly from op-- posite sides of said frame, anarmature shaftextending thru said frame, oscillating mechanism for said shaftdetachably secured thereto; a cam mounted on the shaft between the frontplate and the oscillating mechanismand detachably a'dj'u stably held inplace by the oscillating mechanism, and means for firing an enginecylinder remote from'the magnetosaid means being located in proximity tosaid cam and actuated thereby.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceoftwo Witnesses.

WILLIAM G.' HEATH.

Witnesses:

F A KG. H BART,

GEoJB. 'I NGERSOLL.

